I was curious about how recoil affects the body long term. I have been shooting pretty much every weekend for about a decade. I also have two herniated disc on my neck. I get headaches and neck aches ever now and than.I just turned 37 so hopefully I will still have decades of shooting. My question is would shooting a semi righ now hopefully save wear and tear on my neck? Or keep on shooting my fixed breach gun and move to the semi if need be down the road? I know we have older shooters with bad necks who switched to semis. Would you of recommended switching over sooner than later?

How it effects "the body" long term will depend on that individual body and the recoil it is exposed to. There is no 'standard' body nor standard gun to work with.I'm 51, I've been told the trap load I've shot hundreds of thousands of since the 1980s us a retinal detaching shoulder destroyer, yet I am fine. I also shoot much heavier loads, not 1 or 2 but boxes.I've run a dozen boxes of those trap loads in an afternoon, no soreness, no headaches, no vision issues, nothing.I shoot thousands of rounds of .45 Auto which 9mm fan boys describe as abusively overpowered and impossible to hit with.No carpel tunnel issues.Everyone is different.

_________________I don't always venture out into the sub-freezing darkness, but when I do, it is hunting season, and I carry a Browning. Stay hungry my friends.

If you are jutting your head forward on the stock your sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae, upper trapezius, scalenes, and pec minor will become shortened over time. Likewise, sitting at a desk with poor posture staring at a monitor causes the same thing. We call it "upper crossed syndrome". It can cause headaches amongst other things, like shoulder impingement and thoracic kyphosis. Performing myofascial release, static stretching on these muscle groups, and isolated strengthening of the opposing and lengthened muscle groups can often correct the issue.

As to recoil, oneounce has that covered.

_________________Smokepoint260350635354

"If presidents can't do it to their wives, they do it to their country."-Mel Brooks

Thank you for the information. Last weekend there was a bit of pain between the shoulder blades. But I think it was due to the stress of a crazy week of work. I will try some lighter loads and some stretches and hopefully that will help.

1. Try a 28 gauge (on a 20 gauge receiver) with 8 or 8 1/2 shot. The "little" shell will break any clay on the course, and with the 20 ga. receiver will have enough weight to really minimize what little recoil there is. (It's a great quail, woodcock, grouse and pheasant gun, too!) - Or, as an alternative, handload a 20 ga, with the claybuster 3/4 oz. 20 ga. wads and 3/4 oz. of 8s or 8 1/2s. There are many good recipes for these, and they are economical, too! And they are ALSO low recoil, as well!

2. Get a shooting vest (warm weather) and a shooting jacket (cold weather) jacket that has an internal pocket for either the Browning Reactar (or Beretta's version) recoil pad which fits inside. They are minimal thickness, but really minimize recoil. Check out www.nicashooting.com as they have about every brand of clothing made, (including their own excellent vests/jackets).

As a real "old fart" (I'll be 84 in July) with 3 herniated discs and arthritis of the spine and all the "aches and pains" of age, these work for me, and keep me shooting (mainly sporting clays) at least once per week, and generally more if the opportunity permits.

I have been shooting most of My 64 years and never gave recoil much of a thought. In the last three years I have had two detached retinas , one in each eye. The doctors claim that recoil or heavy lifting at work has nothing to do with My problems , I think they are full of it. If I could turn the clock back 45 years I would shoot nothing more than a 28 ga at skeet and very light loads for trap. once We are past 60 things can change in a big way. Good Luck to All.

Right now I shoot mostly skeet and sporting clays. I do shoot trap as well mostly 16 yards. I have the citori crossover which I feel a bit of kick with. I also have the 1100 competition which is what I was thinking of switching back to.

Probably not helpful for others to share what recoil studs they are when someone is seeking help regarding recoil management, or flinching.I'm recoil sensitive related to DJD in the neck and back, multiple sports and MVA head injuries, and some other stuff.Anyone (military) who have suffered traumatic brain injuries may be extremely recoil sensitive.As SirSkeets implied, the Bunker Trap "crawling the stock" is/will be a big problem

A trap doubles more erect head position/high rib would be better for your neck, but doesn't work well for skeet and sporting clays

nor does ATA trap standing straight

I would suggest an evaluation with a gun fitter and a neutral head position

As all of us age, continuing to participate in sports we greatly enjoy requires adaptive equipment, or at least personal adaption (change in guns, light loads). At some point it may not be worth it, but it certainly is reasonable to do what you can now to prevent greater problems in the future.

If you are getting headaches after shooting, the usual thoughtis that the recoil is effecting you. If you get pain then you shouldprobably do something to cut the recoil, an auto is a good idea,also probably a good idea to add some weight to the auto. Inso far as damage to the body goes, I suppose it could happen,but I have been shooting for about 50 years and it hasn't givenme any damage I know of. I do set my guns up though to reducethe recoil. A nice heavy auto or a heavy o/u with a PFS makesa pretty comfortable gun. Wow, look at my stats, joined in2004 and less than 600 posts.

My shooting with the 28 and 20 ga. guns with 3/4 oz. of 8 1/2 shot is primarily Sporting Clays (and on some tough courses, too!). And I keep up with (and often beat) my squadmates and their 12 gauges, too. I normally just put an IC choke in the bottom barrel of my O/U and a Mod choke in the top barrel, and use the selector switch for firing sequence to match the targets at each station.

If and when you reload, stick with an O/U and learn how to stop the hulls with your hand when opening the gun. It's easy. Remember, autos throw hulls a long ways away and you can get a headache leaning over and picking 'em up!

This is Tod Sloan, possibly at West Chester, in recoilAt the 1901 GAH at Live Birds Sloan used a W & C Scott & Son with 1 1/8 oz. and 3 1/2 Dr. Eq. DuPont Bulk http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/S ... 704019.pdf1 1/8 oz. at 1300 fps in a 7.5# gun would have about 25 ft/lbs of free recoil

There is a reason most of the trap Big Dogs today, are big men and women using 10# guns